Shield and brace for tool-handles



N M d l. w 8 R. 0. DOENITZ & J. FIEREGKEL.

' SHIELD AND BRAGE FOR TOOL HANDLES- Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REINHOLD O. DOENITZ AND JOSEPH FIEREOKEL, OF IRON RIVER, MICHIGAN.

SHIELD AND BRACE FOR TOOL-HANDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,319, dated March 9,1897.

Application filed December 11, 1896. erial No. 615,286. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, REINHOLD O. DOENITZ and JOSEPH FIEREOKEL, citizensof the United States, residing at Iron River, in the county of Iron andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShields and Braces for Tool-Handles; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

Our invention relates to guards or shields for tool-handles.

The object of our invention is to provide a guard or shield of thischaracter adapted for either a double or single bitted tool.

It is also our object to provide a guard or shield which shall alsoserve as a brace to strengthen the handle, and in this respect to bealso adapted for tool-handles which from constant use have become wornor partly broken away upon the under side adjacent to the tool.

It is also our object to provide a shield and brace adapted to beapplied to a tool-handle without first removing the tool from its handleand without the use of nails, rivets, or screws, or other means whichtend to weaken the handle.

It is also our object to provide a shield and brace adapted to bearagainst the rear and lower end walls of the tool-eye to prevent it fromworking on its handle.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown our invention as applied toan aX-handle; but it is evident that it is also applicable to othertool-handles of similar character.

Figure 1 shows our brace and shield applied to a double-bitted ax, andFig. 2 shows it applied to an ax having a single bit. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of our shield and brace detached; and Fig. 4is cross-sectionof the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A denotes the ax, and Bdenotes the handle.

0 denotes the brace or shield, formed of one piece of malleable iron,bent as shown in Fig. 4,. its upright end walls a being slightly concaveto bear against the ax, upon each side of and under the eye of the same,while its side walls 0 taper rearwardly to nothing. The edges of saidside walls, as shown in Fig. 2, are bent or tumbled inwardly toward eachother, and in said tumbled edges are filed teeth 0 Owing to the taperingside walls the teeth will bear crosswise of the grain and avoid anypossibility of weakening or splitting the handle when they are drivenhome.

Our brace and shield are applied to the axhandle after the ax ishandled, and it is secured in position adjacent to the ax simply byhammering the sides of the shield until they yield and allow the teethto bite into the handle. The upright end walls 0 are made conveX'to meetthe concave contour of the adjacent end of the ax.

In adjusting the shield the upright end Walls 0 are fitted snug to therear end walls of the aX-eye before the shield is clamped in position.As the walls 0 bear against the ax they prevent it working rearwardly onthe handle and wearing or chafing the same, thus loosening the ax.

It is evident that when a tool-handle has become worn from use ourshield and brace will bridge over the worn place in the under side ofthe handle, while its side walls will project above it and grasp thetool-handle upon all sides of said worn place, thus bracing said handle,besides preventing further wear of the same.

Having shown and described ourinvention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A shield and brace for tool-handles formed in one piece adapted to fitthe handle exteriorly of the tool proper having upright end walls andyielding side walls having toothed edges which slope or taper rearwardlyfrom said end walls, whereby said edges enter the ax-handle crosswise ofthe grain, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

REINI-IOLD O. DOENITZ. JOSEPH FIERECKEL.

Witnesses ANNA BRONOEL, P. OBRIEN.

